Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro: review in two minutes
Following on from the successful Galaxy Book Pro, Samsung has released a few new productivity laptops; the hybrid laptop-tablet Galaxy Book2 Pro 360, and the Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro. We’ve got our dingy mitts on the latter for a review, and here’s a shocking revelation for you: It’s just like the former, only better.
The Galaxy Book2 Pro starts at $1,050 in the United States (£999, about AU$1,525), although that’s for the 13-inch model; the 15-inch version we’re reviewing here runs $100 more for the base model. The 5G variant we got seems currently only available in the UK for £1,249 and up.
5G or not, this is clearly an impressive product. The original Samsung Galaxy Book Pro was a sleek and powerful laptop aimed at the busy professional, with an undeniably premium price tag, but with performance and design quality to match. This sequel is no different, and it actually feels like Samsung wanted to change as little as possible here – but that’s okay.
From the full-sized keyboard and massive trackpad to the super-slim chassis, the Galaxy Book2 Pro presents itself as a premium choice for a sophisticated work environment, just like its predecessor. But improved thermal performance, improved speakers and a fast new CPU make this an even more attractive package than before.
Yes, the Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro features the latest 12th-generation Intel laptop processor, which offers solid multitasking performance with less heat buildup than previous models, meaning this laptop can run cooler than the original Book Pro.
Despite the improved performance, this is still a phenomenally thin and light Ultrabook that ranks among the best of the best. At just over an inch thick and weighing 1.16kg, the Galaxy Book2 Pro 5G looks and feels incredible, despite a starting price that puts it below the base models of the excellent. Dell XPS 15†
Oh, and the screen – oh, that screen! It may only be 1080p, but this isn’t a gaming laptop, and the AMOLED panel found here offers beautifully vibrant color reproduction along with a high level of brightness and a special ‘eye care’ certification that reduces blue light output to reduce the eyes. tension and headache.
The Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro is an absolutely premium laptop, earning a place in our ranking of the best 15 inch laptops† If you’re still not convinced, read on to find out why we love it so much.
Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro: price and availability
- Starting price of $1,050
- UK SKU tested costs £1,249
- Two different screens and processors available
Specification Sheet
Here’s the Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro configuration sent to Ditching for review:
Processor: Intel Core i5-1240P processor (1.7GHz, up to 4.4GHz)
Graphics: Integrated Intel Iris Xe Graphics
RAM: 8GB LPDDR5
Screen: 15.6-inch 1080p AMOLED
Storage: 256GB PCIe SSD
Ports: 1x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, 1x Thunderbolt 4, 1x HDMI, MicroSD card reader, combo audio jack
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.1, 5G
Camera: 1080p webcam
Weight: 1.16 kg
Mate: 1.17 x 35.5 x 22.6 cm
The lowest price you can pay for a Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro right now is $1,050 (£999, about AU$1,525), but if you want the 15-inch screen seen on our test model, start in instead at $1,150 (£1,099, about AU$1,670).
That gets you a Galaxy Book2 Pro with an Intel Core i5-1240P processor, 8GB RAM and 256GB storage, but you can also upgrade to an i7-1260P, 16GB RAM and 512GB storage. These two processors have the same number of cores, but the i7 chip is faster and takes advantage of the extra memory. These high-spec models cost $1,350 (£1,399, about AU$1,950).
In the UK, the upgraded internal hardware is only available on the 15-inch model, while US consumers can get a third SKU that combines the 13-inch display with the i7 processor and a reduced 8GB of RAM. The 5G model we reviewed has only one configuration, which is shown on our spec sheet.
Overall, it’s a surprisingly reasonable price for the base model, even if the i7 versions push this laptop into premium territory. The starting price is actually lower than the original Galaxy Book Pro was at launch, for which we think Samsung deserves a pat on the back.
- Price and availability: 4/5
Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro: design
- Absolutely stunning AMOLED screen
- Keyboard and trackpad are excellent
- Large selection of ports
The overall aesthetic here hasn’t changed much since the first iteration of the Galaxy Book Pro, while maintaining a certain level of refined minimalism. This isn’t a particularly eye-catching laptop, but the matte chassis in dark ‘graphite grey’ with the reflective Samsung logo atop the lid is a sophisticated design that we’ve come to appreciate.
When we open the lid, the first thing you notice is the incredibly vibrant and colorful display. This 15.6-inch AMOLED panel offers a great contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1 and a color volume of 120%, delivering deep, dark blacks and popping colors. Maximum brightness is more than adequate for outdoor use, provided there’s not too much glare, and the thin bezel around the display keeps the laptop’s overall footprint small. Above the screen is a sturdy full HD webcam.
The Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro has a full-sized keyboard complete with numpad, a useful addition for professionals. It’s softly lit with white LEDs, a non-intrusive feature that makes using the Book2 Pro in dark environments a little easier. The power button – which doubles as a fingerprint sensor for faster logins – is located in the top right corner of the keyboard.
Typing on the Galaxy Book2 Pro is a very pleasant experience, as the keys have a surprising amount of freedom of movement and good responsiveness despite the laptop’s ultra-thin form factor. The 15-inch scale doesn’t cut off the keyboard too much, with nice-sized keys that minimize erroneous keystrokes.
Below the keyboard is a large trackpad, which we found very responsive and easy to use, with a good firm click. We’ve seen too many 15-inch laptops that don’t take advantage of the larger form factor and stick to a relatively dinky trackpad, so this is a welcome sight.
While it may have a super-slim design, the Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro doesn’t compromise on physical connectivity. We have USB-A, two USB-Cs (one of which is Thunderbolt 4 compatible and doubles as a charging port), a microSD card slot, headphone jack and even HDMI video output. It’s an extremely solid selection for this kind of laptop, and at this price. The 5G version is also perfect for working on the go.
We’re honestly struggling to find anything to criticize the design of this laptop, other than the screen hinge is a bit wobbly (not an uncommon problem with thin and light laptops) and the dark matte exterior tends to stain fingerprints. to pick up – as you can see from some of our images.
Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro: performance
- 12th Gen Intel CPU is awesome
- Thermal performance has improved this time
- Bloatware remains a problem
Benchmarks
Here’s how the Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro performed in our series of benchmark tests:
Cinebench R20 Multicore: 3.482
Geek Bench 5: 1,490 (single wire); 7.511 (multi-core)
PCMark 10 (Home Test): 5,101
PCMark 10 (battery life test): 14 hours 16 minutes
Battery Life (USA Health Reports Movie Test): 16 hours 38 minutes
Intel’s 12th-generation ‘Alder Lake’ processors take advantage of a new type of core architecture: a mix of powerful ‘performance cores’ and energy-saving ‘efficiency cores’ that allow the processor to manage different workloads more efficiently. The i5-1240P in this Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro has four P-cores and eight E-cores for a total of twelve, which should be enough for general productivity use.
Performance here is almost on par with the previous generation of i7 CPUs, which is seriously impressive for an i5 chip. Due to the new core architecture, the processor excels especially in multicore tasks, such as photo and video editing.
General use feels great, with the laptop booting up almost instantly and experiencing no lag or lags when using multiple apps at once. Windows 11 feels smooth and opening a dozen tabs in Chrome didn’t result in a noticeable slowdown. It is generally a pleasure to use thanks to the responsive keyboard and trackpad and the excellent display. One advantage of the 12th-generation Intel processor is less waste heat, meaning this Galaxy Book never got too hot during our testing.
Playing the latest triple-A games isn’t really an option here, as the Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro doesn’t have a dedicated graphics card, but the Intel Iris Xe integrated graphics still perform quite well. However, indie games, older titles, and games with 2D graphics are a lot on the table, which is great.
The original Book Pro’s slack speakers have also been updated, with dual AKG stereo speakers powered by Dolby Atmos. They’re still not exciting compared to the speakers you’d find on a larger or more expensive laptop, but there’s a definite improvement in bass and treble here.
One little bit of beef we have here at Samsung is the amount of bloatware that comes preloaded on the Galaxy Book2 Pro. We called Samsung about it last time, and it’s still an issue here; we don’t want an antivirus trial, damn it! There are also a ton of tools designed to work in the “Galaxy Ecosystem,” which are quite useful for Samsung Galaxy phone or tablet owners, but otherwise they just take up real estate on your drive.
Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro: battery life
- Absolutely amazing battery life
- 14+ hours of mixed use
- Fast charging via Thunderbolt 4
The original Galaxy Book Pro was a powerhouse when it came to battery life, and the Book2 Pro is no slouch either. It beats the Intel Evo laptop target of nine hours, lasting a whopping 16 and a half hours in our looped battery life test, on par with its predecessor’s performance.
The Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro outperforms its predecessor in battery life when it comes to productivity workloads, with 14 hours and 16 minutes in the PCMark 10 battery test. This is an utterly stunning result for such a thin and light laptop, outperforming many of its competitors in the same price range and beyond.
Obviously, if you want to max out the brightness, turn on the keyboard backlighting, and set Windows 11’s battery profile to “Performance,” you won’t hit these numbers. Still, the Galaxy Book2 Pro should be able to comfortably last a full workday and long commute without needing a single charge — oh, and it also charges a full charge in under an hour thanks to its Thunderbolt 4 power delivery.
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
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First reviewed in June 2022.
We pride ourselves on our independence and our rigorous review-testing process, where we pay long-term attention to the products we review and make sure our reviews are updated and maintained – regardless of when a device is released, if you can still buy it, it’s on our radar.
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